Patents Examined by Dirk R Bass
  • Patent number: 11193118
    Abstract: A molecular filter that may include a substrate. The substrate may define a first channel, a second channel, at least one slit fluidically coupling the first channel to the second channel, at least one inlet port fluidically coupled to the first channel, at least one recovery port fluidically coupled to the first channel, at least one purge port fluidically coupled to the first channel, and at least one filtrate port fluidically coupled to the second channel. A respective cross-sectional area of each respective slit of the at least one slit in a plane perpendicular to a long axis of the respective slit is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first channel in a plane perpendicular to a long axis of the first channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: Kevin David Dorfman, Pranav Agrawal
  • Patent number: 11185798
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a device for removing particulates, such as sand, from a fluid at an oil and/or gas wellsite. In one aspect, a vessel for separating particulates from a fluid is provided. The vessel includes a body having an inlet and an outlet. The vessel also includes a first chamber and a second chamber disposed in the body. The vessel further includes a screen configured to separate particulates from the fluid. The screen is disposed in the second chamber. Additionally, the vessel includes a vessel door for inserting and removing the screen from the second chamber. In another aspect, a pressure vessel for separating particulates from a fluid is provided. In yet a further aspect, a method of separating particulates from a fluid is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: ENERCORP ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Rory Nagge
  • Patent number: 11154647
    Abstract: Techniques and apparatuses for access recirculation of a patient during dialysis treatment are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include at least one memory, and logic coupled to the at least one memory. The logic may be configured to determine a first hemoglobin concentration for a dialysis system, determine a change in an ultrafiltration rate, determine a second hemoglobin concentration modified due to the change in the ultrafiltration rate based on a dialysis system model of the dialysis system, and determine an access recirculation value for the dialysis system. Other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Vaibhav Maheshwari, Peter Kotanko, Stephan Thijssen
  • Patent number: 11142699
    Abstract: The present technology is generally directed to vent stack lids and associated systems and methods. In particular, several embodiments are directed to vent stack lids having improved sealing properties in a coke processing system. In a particular embodiment, a vent stack lid comprises a first lid portion proximate to and at least partially spaced apart from a second lid portion. The vent stack lid further comprises a first sealing portion coupled to the first lid portion and a second sealing portion coupled to the second lid portion. In several embodiments, the second sealing portion at least partially overlaps the first sealing portion over the space between the first and second lid portions. In further embodiments, at least one of the first or second sealing portions includes layers of tadpole seals, spring seals, rigid refractory material, and/or flexible refractory blanket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: Gary Dean West, Chun Wai Choi, Thomas James Hirt
  • Patent number: 11135536
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a purification device comprising: a main body, and a water-outlet module, wherein the module includes a fixed cover fixed to the main body so as to protrude forward of the main body, a vertically-movable cover moving vertically while bearing against the fixed cover, and a water-outlet nozzle mounted on a bottom of the vertically-movable cover, wherein a stopping protrusion protrudes outward from a bottom lateral face of the vertically-movable cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jewook Jeon, Jingyu Ji, Minho Kim, Youngseok Kim, Hoon Jang, Soonki Jung
  • Patent number: 11136254
    Abstract: A method for integrated treatment of electroplating wastewater includes steps of: adjusting and maintaining pH of wastewater at 10.5-12; oxidizing pollutants such as sodium cyanide and hydroxyl-containing organic amine complexants with sodium hypochlorite; precipitating carboxyl-containing organic acid complexants with synergistic effect of ferrous and calcium ions; reducing hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium and forming chromium hydroxide precipitate; removing precipitate by filtering; adjusting wastewater to pH of 4.5-5.5; precipitating heavy metal ions with sodium dimethyldithiocarbamate or sodium diethyldithiocarbamate; adsorbing precipitate and heavy metal capturing agents with activated carbon; filtering to remove precipitate; adjusting wastewater to pH of 6-8; and destroying aliphatic polyamine complexants and reducing COD using an available biological degradation technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU ULTRA UNION CHEMICALS LTD.
    Inventors: Chongwu Guo, Fonvoon Lai
  • Patent number: 11130097
    Abstract: A wave-actuated system for desalination of water by reverse osmosis (RO) having a wave energy converter (WEC) subsystem and a RO desalination subsystem is disclosed. The WEC subsystem has a float, a reaction member, and a hydraulic cylinder connected between the float and the reaction member and defining first and second variable volume chambers The RO desalination subsystem has a RO cell containing a RO membrane and a flow smoothing device (FSD). During a first stroke of the WEC subsystem: the float moves in a first direction; and seawater is supplied from the first variable volume chamber to the RO cell and to the FSD. During a second stroke of the WEC subsystem: the float moves in a second direction; seawater is supplied from a seawater intake to the first variable volume chamber; and seawater is supplied from the FSD to the RO cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: ONEKA TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Renaud Lafortune, Dragan Tutic
  • Patent number: 11103625
    Abstract: Dialysis systems are disclosed comprising new fluid flow circuits. Systems may include blood and dialysate flow paths, where the dialysate flow path includes balancing, mixing, and/or directing circuits. Dialysate preparation may be decoupled from patient dialysis. Circuits may be defined within one or more cassettes. The fluid circuit fluid flow paths may be isolated from electrical components. A gas supply in fluid communication with the dialysate flow path and/or the dialyzer able to urge dialysate through the dialyzer and urge blood back to the patient may be included for certain emergency situations. Fluid handling devices, such as pumps, valves, and mixers that can be actuated using a control fluid may be included. Control fluid may be delivered by an external pump or other device, which may be detachable and/or generally rigid, optionally with a diaphragm dividing the device into first and second compartments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: DEKA Products Limited Partnership
    Inventor: Michael J. Wilt
  • Patent number: 11090421
    Abstract: Methods, sorbent cartridges and cleaning devices are disclosed for refurbishing sorbent materials. In one implementation among multiple implementations, a medical fluid delivery method includes: providing a sorbent cartridge including H+ZP within a casing for a treatment; and after the treatment, refurbishing the H+ZP while maintained within the casing via (i) regenerating the non-disinfected H+ZP by flowing an acid solution through the casing, (ii) rinsing the regenerated H+ZP while maintained within the casing, (iii) disinfecting the regenerated and rinsed H+ZP by flowing a disinfecting agent through the casing, and (iv) rinsing the regenerated and disinfected H+ZP while maintained within the casing. Multiple batch sorbent refubishing implementations are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare SA
    Inventors: Yuanpang Samuel Ding, Rosa Hung-Chen Yeh, Cristian Adolfo Menzel Bueno, Ieng Kin Lao
  • Patent number: 11090586
    Abstract: Devices and methods associated therewith for facilitating movement, removal and/or installation of components from treatment units (e.g., water treatment units and wastewater treatment units). The treatment unit can take the form of a granular media filter (e.g., upflow filter, downflow filter or bi-flow filter) or a sludge collection basin. One preferred device is one or more floats facilitating safe removal of components of a treatment unit. The float(s) can be operably associated with an air scour system of a water filter to remove the air scour system from a granular media filter bed. The float(s) can be operably associated with a collection grid of a sludge collection container facilitating safe removal of the collection grid from the sludge collection container. Another preferred device is a flexible piping/conduit operably connected to a pressurized air source and an air scour system to assist in removal/installation of the air scour system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Roberts Marketing DE, Inc.
    Inventors: R. Lee Roberts, Matthew Roberts
  • Patent number: 11091368
    Abstract: Methods and systems for removal and recovery of phosphorus from wastewater and producing inorganic phosphorus complexes including digestate recycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc.
    Inventor: Keith E. Bowers
  • Patent number: 11077406
    Abstract: Disclosed is a central tube set. The central tube set includes: a permeate tube, a peripheral wall of the permeate tube being arranged with a pure water influx hole communicating with an internal channel of the permeate tube; and a plurality of wastewater tubes arranged at intervals. The wastewater tubes are arranged around the permeate tube, a peripheral wall of each wastewater tube is arranged with a wastewater influx hole communicating with an internal channel of each wastewater tube. The plurality of the wastewater tubes and the permeate tube are arranged at intervals, to form a receiving space between each wastewater tube and the permeate tube, for receiving a portion of the reverse osmosis membrane sheet set which is extending into the central tube set. The present application further provides a spiral wound reverse osmosis membrane component and a reverse osmosis water purifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Xuegang Cai, Peng Gui, Fangzhen Zheng, Guodong Song
  • Patent number: 11071931
    Abstract: Self-cleaning inline filters that utilize sensors to measure pressure differential and activate a self-cleaning mode are disclosed. In the self-cleaning mode, the self-cleaning inline filters of the present disclosure utilize back, reverse, and/or counter-current fluid flow to separate two filter elements. The back, reverse, and/or counter-current fluid flow also flushes particulates out of the filter, such that the particulates are captured by a mechanical trap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: United Launch Alliance, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Jay J. Breidenbach
  • Patent number: 11072552
    Abstract: The “sludge dehydrator” equipment is a machine that permits to remove low turbidity water from sludge or watery pastes of industrial or mining origin, with the following objectives: To optimize ore recovery processes such as flotation by means of an increase of the sludge density; To thicken sludge or watery pastes for optimizing the filtering and drying processes, as well as to dispose of mining tailings; To concentrate and dispose of solids in suspension and to recover and recycle clean or clarified water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventor: Augusto Eric Reijer Picozzi
  • Patent number: 11071949
    Abstract: A system for cleaning feed water of variable quality, the system comprising an inlet for selectively delivering feed water (FW) to one or other of at least two feed chambers (2,4), each feed chamber having a delivery pipe (2i, 4i) for delivering feed water to a reverse osmosis or nanofiltration (8); a pump (6) to deliver the feed water from one of the chambers (2, 4) through its associated delivery pipe (2i, 4i) to the reverse osmosis or nanofiltration (8) to create a concentrated feed stream and a product water stream (PW); return pipes (2R, 4R) for selectively returning the concentrated feed stream to one or other of the at least two feed chambers (2, 4); a product water outlet for removal of the product water (PW); and means for switching the delivery of the concentrated feed stream between the selectable return pipes (2R, 4R) upon detection of a predetermined reduction in the efficiency of the RO or NF process within one or other of the feed chambers (2, 4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Alex Drak, Tomer Efrat, Roi Zaken
  • Patent number: 11058572
    Abstract: A thermal control unit for delivering temperature-controlled fluid to one or more patient pads that are in contact with a patient is disclosed. The thermal control unit includes a fluid circuit with an inlet and outlet, a heat exchanger, a pump, and a controller. A fluid quality monitor is included in some embodiments to monitor a cleanliness of the circulating fluid and issue an alert if the cleanliness falls below a threshold. A valve may be included that is controlled by the controller based upon a measurement of the cleanliness of the circulating fluid and/or the passage of a predetermined amount of time. A second valve may also be included in some embodiments that selectively diverts fluid to an additional filter. The additional filter is used to determine if a cleaning action taken with respect to the circulating fluid was effective or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Marko N. Kostic, Gregory S. Taylor, Andrew M. Bentz, Christopher John Hopper
  • Patent number: 11051972
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a non-invasive, non-gravitationally dependent, pressurized method for the rapid selective extraction, volume expansion, and reclamation of medication and medication metabolites (including but not limited to naturally occurring or engineered hormones, chemicals, antibodies, enzymes, lipids, proteins or pharmaceutical products) from urine. The disclosure further relates to methods for reclamation of medication from urine in a pressurized system and methods of using the medication reclaimed from that urine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventor: Kevin-Steven Creagh Buford
  • Patent number: 11045595
    Abstract: A dialysis system is configured to enable a patient to undergo both peritoneal dialysis and extracorporeal blood treatments. The example dialysis system includes a base unit configurable to provide a first fluid for use in preforming at least one peritoneal dialysis treatment at a first time. The base unit is further configurable to provide a second, different fluid for use in at least one extracorporeal blood treatment at a second, different time. The example dialysis system also includes a blood treatment unit configured to be docked to the base unit. The blood treatment unit includes a blood pump configured to pump blood from the patient to a blood filter and from the blood filter back to the patient. The blood filter or a blood line in communication with the blood filter receives the second fluid from the base unit for use in the at least one extracorporeal blood treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Baxter Healthcare SA
    Inventors: Gino Cicchello, Christian Bernard, Robert W. Childers, Anthony Simiele
  • Patent number: 11045590
    Abstract: A manifold apparatus and method of opening a valve in a medical/surgical waste collection unit. The manifold includes a base at a proximal end with the base defining an opening off center from an axis of the manifold. The manifold further includes two arcuately spaced tabs, each subtending arcs having different arcuate lengths. The manifold is positioned such that the tabs mate with at least two slots of a lock ring of the waste collection unit so as to cause the opening of the manifold to be, upon insertion into a bore of the waste collection unit, in a specific rotational alignment in the bore. The manifold is rotated within the bore to cause a valve disk to move between a first position in which the valve disk blocks fluid flow through the receiver and a second position in which the valve disk allows fluid flow through the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Murray, David Hershberger, Brent S. Lalomia, Stephen Reasoner
  • Patent number: 11034593
    Abstract: A water purifier according to an aspect includes: a cooling water tank that keeps cooling water; a cold water pipe provided in the cooling water tank; an evaporator provided in the cooling water tank; a separator on which the evaporator is provided and that is provided over the cold water pipe to divide the internal space of the cooling water tank into a first space and a second space; a stirring member that is provided in the cooling water tank and stirs the cooling water; a stirring motor that has a rotary shaft to which the stirring member is coupled; a stirring motor cap that covers the side and the top edge of the stirring motor; and a stirring motor support to which the stirring motor cap is fastened and that is provided at the top of the cooling water tank to seal the top of the cooling water tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Jongwoo Park, Goeun Kim, Kwangyong An